


Failure and Survival

by theprydonian_archivist



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Episode: s03e11 Utopia, M/M, Time War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-03-01
Updated: 2008-03-01
Packaged: 2018-07-15 01:14:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7199486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theprydonian_archivist/pseuds/theprydonian_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A little snapshot before the Master uses the chameleon arc.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Failure and Survival

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Versaphile, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Prydonian](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Prydonian). Deciding that it needed to have a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact the e-mail address on [The Prydonian collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/theprydonian/profile).

All he can hear is thunder from the explosives. Thunder that drowns out the quiet drumming and thrills that dangerous place deep down that isn’t afraid of being out of control. 

Not that he’s afraid, oh no.

This is about surviving, not about fear. The Doctor is the one that runs away because of fear. Fear of death, fear of failure, fear of bloody commitment.

On the scanner outside, he sees a blue box materialise on Gallifrey beside him, a man with brown curls and those painfully recognisable vague blue eyes stepping out and entering into an incredibly heated conversation with the newly regenerated President Romanadvoratrelundar. 

Her name alone reminds him of past ceremonies, pompous robes and hard, itchy collars. He doesn’t remember the boy with blond curls lying beside him in the hot Gallifreyan suns whispering about the whimsical things they’re going to do together when they ‘grow up’ and kissing him on the lips before running off with a teasing laugh.

What he does remember is the pain from the Eye of Harmony ripping him to atoms. 

He looks away from the man who sent him to his death. At least, he tries to.

Romana passes the Doctor a blue cube, her new green eyes so sorrowful that it surpasses all that the Master has seen in thousands of galaxies. Pitiful, really.

Instinctively he knows what the cube will do, some time down the winding tunnels of time. What it has done… _is_ doing.

He turns away and pulls the Chameleon Arch down.

If war is a game, then this time he’s playing to win.


End file.
